Tonight in Mumbai couturier-turned-fashion conqueror Rohit Bal will unveil his latest venture — a prêt line for mass online retailer Jabong. The 48-piece collection of prêt Indian ethnic wear priced between Rs 8,000 to Rs 18,000 will go live on April 18.

"When bringing out a product that's in this range, from a designer that usually sells clothes that cost above Rs 1 lakh, there's a lot of collaboration necessary. It's outside both of our comfort zones, but Rohit had a passion to make it happen," says Arun Chandra, founder and managing director of Jabong.

If the retail giant's previous experiment with the designer is anything to go by — Jabong served as a conduit for the Rohit Bal for Biba line, which sold out within an hour, we're told — this is the start of something bigger than big.

It's a numbers game

"We're in a market where 70 per cent of the population is between the ages of 25-35. This is the big game of the future," Bal explains. "If I can sell to 20 million people in the country, that's far more exciting for me than dressing one girl for the red carpet."

He dismisses the idea that being available via multiple retail channels could potentially dilute his brand value.

"I still make the most expensive clothes in the country and women still flock to buy them. But now, I send their daughters to Biba or Jabong. You have to make people feel proud of buying a Rohit Bal outfit, whether it's from Biba or Jabong or my couture store. That's what success is. I can multi-think, and that leads other people to multi-task."

There's a menswear collection already on the drawing board, soon to be followed by accessories, from wallets and bags to ties and boxer shorts.

That's not taking into account the non-fashion related pies that Bal's busy sticking his fingers into — architecture projects in Goa and Gurgaon, book deals with Penguin and a line of Zippo lighters, although he insists he doesn't smoke.